On Saturday, July 22, President Akufo-Addo paid a courtesy visit to Pope Francis in Rome to strengthen diplomatic ties between Ghana and the Vatican.
This visit was a part of the President’s official four-day visit to Italy, aiming to reaffirm the friendship between the two nations.
During the visit, the Ghanaian delegation was taken on a tour of the Pontifical Academies of Sciences at the Vatican by Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, a respected Catholic priest of Ghanaian origin.
Ghana shares the Holy See’s commitment to addressing critical issues such as the climate crisis, human trafficking, and promoting equality for all.
On the occasion of Pope Francis’ 10th anniversary as Pope, which coincided with the National Day of the Holy See, President Nana Akufo-Addo lauded the Pope’s dedication to the betterment of humanity.
Since 2013, Pope Francis has advocated for fairness, equality among nations, and has spoken against discrimination and exploitation.
The Vatican has been a supportive partner in Ghana’s development efforts, particularly in areas like education, health, and youth development over the years.
A visitor who allegedly carved himself and his girlfriend’s names into the Colosseum in Rome has been identified.
Ivan Dimitrov, also known as Ivan Hawkins, is a Bristol-based fitness professional.
The 27-year-old was allegedly captured last weekend using a set of keys to carve the words “Ivan and Hayley 23” into the masonry by American tourist Ryan Lutz.
In the video Ryan can be heard saying ‘Are you serious man? That is f***** up man. Stupid a******.’
When challenged, the man said to be Ivan turns around to Ryan and grins before turning his attention back to the wall.
MailOnline has established Ivan is originally from Lovech, Bulgaria, and also works as a delivery driver around Bristol.
His girlfriend, Hayley Bracey, 33, is thought to run her own sports nutrition business and the pair live together in Keynsham, near Bristol.
In a statement released this afternoon a spokesperson for the Carabinieri said: ‘Following investigations, subsequent to the complaint presented by the Colosseum Park Authority, the Carabinieri of the Command of Rome Piazza Venezia, coordinated by the Public Prosecutor of Rome, have identified, through traditional investigations and photographic comparison, the person seriously suspected of being responsible for engraving his own name and that of his partner, at the Colosseum, filming the scene, then published on social media.
‘The Carabinieri have ascertained that it is a couple, man and woman, residing in England.
‘It should be noted that the proceeding is in the preliminary investigation phase, therefore the suspect must consider himself innocent until a final sentence is issued.’
Meanwhile in a statement culture minister Gennaro Sangiuliano said: ‘I am grateful to the Arma dei Carabinieri for having promptly identified the alleged perpetrator of the uncivilized and absurd act committed at the Colosseum.
‘An act that has offended all those throughout the world who appreciate the value of archaeology, monuments and history.
‘Now I hope that justice will take its course by rigorously applying the laws. If it comes to a trial, the Ministry of Culture will appear as a civil party’.
Ryan previously said: ‘I couldn’t believe it when I saw what this jerk was doing to the brickwork.
‘I’m fascinated by history and culture and here was this dumba** defacing it which is a crime and I wanted to do something about it.
‘That’s why I took the video and I showed it to the security guard at the site and I pointed the couple out to them.
‘He said there was nothing he could do as he hadn’t actually seen them defacing the wall but he said I should speak with his boss. So I did and he told me the police had been called.
‘That was the last I heard and then I left the Colosseum and carried on with my day. I posted the video in the hope that someone would recognise and identify them and then they will be punished.
‘I think both of them, whoever they are, are idiots and I have a horrible gut feeling these two jerks are American because it’s the sort of thing we have a reputation for doing.
‘But I respect culture and history and I’m grateful to be a visitor to a place like Rome and be hosted by such wonderful people and then two idiots do something like this.
‘They clearly have no shame and when he looked at me in that bizarre way and he just smiled you can hear what I thought of him.
‘I don’t understand what would possess someone to do something like that and I really hope they are caught and punished.’
Builders who work at the couple’s home said: ‘They left last week and aren’t due back for a fortnight. We are just doing the groundwork. They said they were touring Europe.’
Hayley’s mum expressed her shock and said: ‘No, that can’t be right. She wouldn’t do anything like that. She’s on holiday in Italy. Ivan is her partner, and they are both away.’
Hayley’s dad refused to comment on the matter and said: ‘I’ve got nothing to say.’
After undergoing examinations, the pope has returned from the hospital in Rome.
Italian news agency Ansa and a number of other regional media sites reported that Pope Francis visited Gemelli Hospital in the nation’s capital.
According to accounts, he arrived at a hospital section dedicated to treating senior patients at 10.40 a.m. local time (8.40 a.m. GMT).
The pope returned shortly after, according to witnesses at the Perugino gate of the Vatican, one of the main gates to the city state, and greeted guards as usual.
The Vatican has not yet commented on the condition of the pope, who is 86 years old.
Pope Francis marked the 10th anniversary of his pontificate in March and has recently made headlines after denouncing anti-gay laws.
He described the criminalisation of homosexuality as an ‘injustice’ while travelling back to Rome from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, in February.
The Catholic leader said people with ‘homosexual tendencies’ are children of God and should be welcomed by the church.
In late March he spent a few days at the Gemelli Hospital – one of Europe’s largest private hospitals sometimes known as ‘The Pope’s Hospital’ – with an acute case of bronchitis.
He was given intravenous antibiotics and discharged on April 1, after which he joked ‘I’m still alive’.
He also skipped some audiences last month due to a fever.
The pope had part of his colon removed in July 2021 as part of an operation tackling a painful bowel condition called diverticulitis.
He revealed earlier this year the condition has returned.
Pope Francis is also missing part of one lung, which was removed when he was a young man living in his native Argentina.
He has suffered several ailments in his later years, including sciatica nerve pain and strained ligaments in his knee, and is often seen using a cane or wheelchair to get around.
Despite this the pope has a packed schedule, with trips to Portugal and Mongolia planned for August.
His next public appointment is expected to be his weekly general audience tomorrow in St Peter’s Square.
Romeloves Jose Mourinho for what he has done for AS Roma since taking over the club in 2021, and it’s not just football fans who adore him.
Before the postponed Euro 2020 in 2021, he unexpectedly assumed the managerial role of the Italian capital club and quickly won the city over.
In his debut season, he assisted Roma in ending their 14-year title drought since the 2008 Coppa Italia by helping them win the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League, which they did by defeating Feyenoord of the Netherlands in the final.
Giallorossi reached their second European final under the former Chelsea manager after beating Bayer Leverkusen to reach the Europa League final.
Mourinho receives standing ovation
Mourinho is not only loved by the football fans in Rome; he is also loved by non-football fans in the ancient city, due to his achievements in Italian football.
He was in attendance at the Italian Open final on Sunday to watch Daniil Medvedev beat Holger Rune, and was acknowledged by the fans, who gave him a standing ovation.
The former Real Madrid boss was in the company of his former player Marco Materazzi at the event, and was also in attendance a week earlier to watch Serbian star Novak Djokovic in the second round.
According to Daily Express, former world number 1 Boris Becker was also in attendance, five months after he was deported to Germany after time in UK custody.
Roma players relive Leverkusen game
Sports Brief reported that Mourinho relieved the Leverkusen game with his players at a dinner, after Roma progressed to the UEFA Europa League final on Thursday.
The Special one filmed his players having a meal and watching themselves. He uploaded the video to Instagram and labelled the players ‘warriors’ after a hard-fought game.
Ciro Immobile, a striker for Lazio, has asserted that he “behaved correctly” during a car accident in Rome involving a tram.
Lazio have announced that their captain was injured in the collision that nearly wrecked his car, suffering a fractured rib and a spinal cord damage.
In a recent Instagram Stories statement, Immobile’s attorney denied any misconduct on behalf of his client.
“The thoughts of my client Ciro Immobile, who is shaken over what happened today, go to his two daughters and to the driver of the tram, who he hopes will have a quick recovery,” read the statement.
“[He is] Relieved that nobody suffered serious injuries, aware in this moment that he behaved correctly, he has full trust in the authorities who are completing their investigation.”
Conflicting theories have already emerged regarding the cause of the crash. The driver of the tram told Repubblica: “I remember I passed a green traffic light and saw the car coming at full speed.”
However, the Corriere dello Sport has reported the tram went through a red light before hitting Immobile’s car,something Immobile was seen claiming in videos posted on social media.
“The tram went through a red light,” he said. “Luckily I’m fine, my arm just hurts a little.”
The incident occurred after Immobile had scored in a 3-0 win for Lazio against Spezia on Friday in Serie A.
Immobile now has 12 goals for the season for Lazio from 30 appearances in all competitions.
Ghana’s Cardinal Richard Kuuia Baawobr has been discharged from hospital after undergoing a heart-related surgery in Rome.
On 18 November 2022, the Cardinal was discharged from Agostino Gemelli University Hospital where he had been on admission since 15 October 2022.
The Cardinal is now staying at the Generalate of the Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers) in Rome.
Richard Cardinal Kuuia Baawobr, Bishop of Wa, Ghana is said to be suffering from a heart-related condition that may require surgery.
“..Richard Cardinal Kuuia Baawobr who since his arrival in Rome fell ill and has been hospitalized with problems of the heart and it seems he may need to have surgery. Let’s remember him as well,” Pope Francis said.
If the discussion is limited to Nigeria’sversion of the world’s wonders, it would be unfair to leave out the ancient city of Sungbo’s Eredo.
Sungbo’s Eredo is said to be Africa’s largest single pre-colonial monument (or ancient fortification). It is now located in Ijebu-Ode, Ogun State, and it was built a millennium ago.
This ancient city’s construction required more sand to be moved than that used to build the Great Pyramid of Giza (one of the Seven Wonders of The Ancient World).
The most amazing fact is that when Sungbo’s Eredo was built, it was the largest cityin the world (larger than Rome and Cairo).
Anyone familiar with these historical cities would know that Rome and Cairo were both civilisational centers and world powers at the time.
It is thus astonishing and a source of great pride that a Nigerian city can outclass them in terms of size and magnificence.
The city was built in honor of the Ijebu noblewoman Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo between 800-1000 AD. The location is now on Nigeria’s preliminary list of potential UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
According to biblical and Quranic accounts, Oloye Bilikisu Sungbo was actually the Queen of Sheba. She built this monument as a personal memorial for herself, a wealthy and industrious widow who was greatly revered by her people.
It is located near her grave in Oke-Eiri, a town north of the Eredo that pilgrims continue to visit today.
Since its discovery in 1999 by the late British archaeologist Dr Patrick Darling, it has sparked both mystery and curiosity. Since then, there has been much discussion and debate about its existence and, indeed, its purpose.
Located on a hillin the heart of Rome and featuring the only ceiling mural ever painted by the Italian Baroque old master Caravaggio, Villa Aurora is widely regarded as the world’s most expensive house.
The 30,000-square-foot, 16th-century villa is located a short walk from the famous Via Veneto, home to some of Rome’s best hotels, and close to the iconic Piazza di Spagna and the ancient Porta Pinciana. Originally a hunting lodge, the villa is all that remains of a 30-hectare complex owned by Italy’s Ludovisi noble family, who gave the country numerous diplomats, patrons of the arts, and even a Pope. Today, Villa Aurora finds itself at the heart of a legal battle and an Italian court has ruled that it should be sold at auction. Only the price set for the property is so high that no one seems interested in paying it.
“You have to have a billionaire; a millionaire is not enough for this,” Princess Rita Boncompagni-Ludovisi, the villa’s current occupant, told NPR. “It needs someone with deep pockets, who doesn’t care if you have to spend 10 thousand on a water leak or something.”
72-year-old Princess Rita Boncompagni-Ludovisi is the third wife of Prince Nicolo Ludovisi Boncompagni. Now she and three sons from the prince’s first marriage are engaged in a legal battle with the precious Villa Aurora at its center. Since the parties could not come to an understanding, an auction was decided, with the proceeds to be split between them. But auctioning off the world’s most expensive house is no easy feat.
Back in January, when the first auction was held, the estimated price for Villa Aurora was €471 million (at the time $539 million). And, despite its historical and artistic value, no one was really surprised that the property didn’t have a buyer.
“I would have been amazed if a buyer had come forward. The price is too high,” Alessandro Zuccari, a professor at Sapienza University in Rome who helped with the valuation, told The Guardian. “Let’s see what happens in April, but I doubt anyone will come forward then — what would someone like Bill Gates do with Villa Aurora, especially with all the extra costs?”
A pristine location in the heart of Italy’s capital, and an unrivaled history tied to some of the greatest thinkers and artists in Europe are not enough to give Villa Aurora the title of ‘world’s most expensive house’. That can be attributed to the artistic treasures it houses, particularly the ceiling mural painted by Carravaggio, itself estimated to have a value of €310 million. It was reportedly painted in 1597 and only discovered sometime in the 1960s.
In April, Villa Aurora went under the hammer once again, this time with a roughly 20% discount from the original €471 million asking price, but no one seemed eager to bid on it. Now, Princess Rita Boncompagni-Ludovisi has asked some of the world’s top real estate agencies to find a buyer for the home, but that is proving a tall order.
Princess Boncompagni-Ludovisi has asked the Italian Government to purchase the villa and preserve it, and her wish was shared by the nearly 40,000 signatories of a petition, but despite the discounted price, Villa Aurora would most likely pulverize the budget of Italy’s Ministry of Culture.
For the time being, Villa Aurora remains on the market and retains the title of ‘world’s most expensive house’.
